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Quirky Copper (As Told By Copper)

Copper has decided to contribute today’s post since it is about some of his favorite/least favorite things:

“I’ve been living with Sarah for the last several years, basically my whole life. Sometimes she seems bored and mentions activities like napping and reading books, so I took up a few hobbies to keep her life interesting. So here they are in ascending order:

Being weird about having my muzzle touched. When I was young this was one of my biggest pet peeves. I mean really, how would you feel if people touched your nose without reason? Other horses are annoyed by having their ears handled, but how often do they mess with your ears anyway? Not super often. Of course, we horses are designed to entrance young girls (I know it sounds creepy when I say it, but little girls love horses). Our soft noses are perfect for children to latch onto. They’re in reach, soft, and the gateway to our teeth. Jk…I don’t bite kids. I snort like I’m terrified until they run to Robin and Paige. Mom has wised up and doesn’t let strangers touch my nose. SCORE. Now, if they get to pet me at all, they scratch my neck, which is the.best.thing.ever. Of course there is some give and take here. Since she doesn’t let strangers handle my nose, I’ve been letting her handle it for clipping, etc. without much fuss. I do have a reputation to uphold.

Needles. Terrifying. Need I say more? Mom has started giving me some sort of secret sleeping potion prior to getting stuck, which I can’t decide if I like or not. On one hand I love a good nap, but on the other hand who knows what she’s letting that vet do to me while I’m asleep? Once I woke up when they were done and my entire mouth was different. I’m not going to complain too much because it was so much easier to eat after the soreness went away. Sometimes these humans do some crazy things, but they seem to have reasons? Yes, this is a question on purpose.

Chasing Animals. While this one would likely annoy other owners more than it does Mom, she doesn’t really care if I chase things. Most of the animals that I chase have it coming. When the donkeys were babies it bothered her because they couldn’t outrun me or dart under a gate/building like the dog. As if anything could outrun me. I’ve never actually hurt another animal, but you wouldn’t know that from watching my moves. I can REALLY put on a good show for the camera. Lately I haven’t been chasing animals as often. The dog isn’t with us anymore (not my fault btw. Lymphoma sucks) and Mom has me kicked out in this field with TONS of grass, but I’m solo. Not that the mares would ever play anyway, but the donkeys can be a good time. I have this new lady friend that comes by in the evenings. She snorts like a crazy thing and runs off when Mom brings us water, but hey, beggers can’t be choosers.

I never could convince this dude to run. He just watched me and rolled on his back and showed me his belly. Weird much?

This was when I first met the donks. I had to show them I meant business.

Levi was the ultimate partner. He’d turn around sometimes and run AT me. Psycho, but fun.

My spooky new lady friend.

Opening gates. I don’t do this often because Mom totally loses her marbles when she finds me places I’m not supposed to be. This one time I got in the yard and bit her car…but that’s a different story. I have this one gate that I love. It all started when she brought me home and I saw the donks. I’d been telling her for years that I am afraid of miniatures. I spooked every opportunity I got! So I decided to communicate my distaste for the small equines in the only way that made sense. She didn’t get that spooking was a warning of my dislike of minis, so I decided to chase them. Obviously this would show her how I felt about them. I’d lean on the gate with my chest and she’d be surprised to find it laying on the ground or hanging from the chain when she tried to catch me and put me back with Robin. I am strong, so I don’t understand her surprise. She’d tie it up with twine, I guess thinking I couldn’t muscle my way through the twine. The brain is a muscle too, Mom! (Side note: Copper, the brain isn’t a muscle, but this is your post.) So I chewed through the twine then pushed my way in. Duh. Once I even pushed so hard on the other end that I broke the post that the gate was chained to. My strength is truly astounding, even to me. I haven’t done this with the other gates on the farm. Mom really loses her cool when I do it with another field, so I imagine she’d have a fit if she found me in the driveway our out with the cows. Ha. How great would chasing cows be though?

Playing in the water trough may seem innocent enough, but it is the easiest way to get under Mom’s skin. Ever since I was young I’ve loved playing in the water. I would drag the trough around the field once it was empty, which she took as a cue to water us, then she discovered that I was emptying the trough myself and then dragging it around like a toy. I remember watching her drag it to the top of the hill and fill it to capacity with 50 gallons of water. She then walked to the bottom of the hill back to the house. When she heard the whooshing sound of the water I thought she’d fall over. When she saw me standing in the trough I realized I’d made a mistake. I was just so excited to dump it. After getting annoyed with my stunts she put a cinderblock in front of the trough, which kept me from dumping the water, but didn’t keep my feet out of it. To this day I still play in the water trough at any opportunity. These opportunities are seldom now since I’m in isolation and am watered out of a flimsy tub. Mom didn’t think I’d bother with it since it is so tall, but it is really because I cracked it the first time (up towards the handle, it will still hold water, chill). Yesterday she just seemed so bored. She mentioned going to the grocery store, which is right beside where she bought the tub. I knew she could totally swing by and buy me another one and run back to the farm after buying groceries if I broke it, so I decided to show her that I CAN lift my leg high enough to get it in the water. Of course, lifting my leg up high enough to get it out without dumping the water is still a work in progress, so I kinda dumped the two buckets of water she’d just given me. Sorry Mom… So what did she do next? SHE SPRAYED ME IN THE FACE. The nerve. I was showing her an awesome trick. At least she did fill my water up again before she left.

My tail was so long back then before she got donkeys. Get a clue, Mom! Donkeys are trouble!

This was last week. I heard Mom mention getting a 100/150 gallon tub for the mares and putting the 50 in my field. That would be a dream come true.

In other news, the farrier is coming tonight. Pretty exciting stuff. I may be the only dude on the place, but I like a nice pedicure as much as the next pony.

Also, Mom has been posting some pretty embarrassing pictures of me on here. She did a whole post on me in my pajamas at shows. I’ve requested that she begin this post with my favorite picture of me. Sure I take a nice headshot, and she’s got some great ones with her fancy camera, but the cell phone shot at the top of this post????? I mean, if that doesn’t scream stud, I don’t know what does.

Hopefully Mom will let me post again. I really don’t get as much social interaction as I’d like being out in this field all alone. Maybe you even have a horse that you’d like to send to board here? Something that doesn’t weigh a bajillion pounds though. If you send a fat horse it won’t be allowed to hang out with me because I’m in a sea of grass and founder sucks. ONLY ATHLETES NEED APPLY.”

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Hi, I’m Sarah and I own a farm in rural SWVA where I board a couple horses and keep my small (but growing) herd. I use this space to chronicle my life with my four legged friends, both equine and canine and am glad to have you tune in! :)

Recent Posts

Paige is my most reliable mount. She is a 18 year old American Quarter horse. She is the mother of my APHA colt by Hollywood Reminic and the reason I still enjoy horses.

Copper is the only gelding in my personal herd. He is a 11 year old Appaloosa who is remarkably versatile. We’ve fought Lyme disease and some other weird lameness issues the last couples years, but hope to try our hand at dressage one day.

Joey is a 2017 dunskin colt by Hollywood Reminic and out of my AQHA mare, Paige. I am very lucky to have this little guy to bring along and I look forward to the journey.

Robin is a 16 year old breeding stock Paint mare that has been my big pet since she was a weanling and I was 12. If you’re asking who really owns the farm? It’s this mare. ;)

Emma, Chloe, Russell, and Poppy are the barn clowns. These mini donkeys have more personality than ears, if you can believe that. Poppy is Chloe and Russell’s 2017 baby.

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